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Group Dynamics and Teamwork

February 28, 2012MGMT 4000, Class 6

A good definition…..A small group of people…..with complementary skills….who are committed to a common purpose,

goals, and approach….for which they hold themselves mutually

accountable. From Katzenbach and Smith “Wisdom of Teams”

What are the differences between a working group and a team?

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Stages of a Team

Forming

Storming

NormingPerforming

Adjourning

Tuckman Model

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Stages of a TeamForming Storming Norming Performing Adjourning

Excitement

Anxiety

Testing

Team Identity

Resistance to different approaches

Sharp attitude changes

Competitiveness and defensiveness

Tension and disunity

Increased satisfaction

Developing trust and respect

Giving feedback to others

Sharing responsibilities

Making decisions

High level of interaction

Increased performance

Members are comfortable with each other

Confident and optimistic

Often overlooked

Wide range of emotions are experienced

Work levels shift

Transition must be acknowledged and managed

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Five Dysfunctions of a Team, Patrick Lencioni

Results

Accountability

Commitment

Conflict

Trust

Clarity - Communication - Rigor

Modeling

Decision-Making

Developing Talent

Achieving

Results

Partner Discussion

Think about the best team you’ve ever been on (work, school, sport, volunteer, etc)

What were the characteristics that made it great?

Think about the worst team you’ve ever been on

What made it ineffective?

Team Effectiveness Defined The team’s output (at least) meets the

standards of quality, quantity, etc. of the clients

The team is operating in ways that make it better as a performing unit over time

On balance, the team contributes to (more than it undermines) the learning and well-being of individual members

“Condition 0” A Real Team Bounded Stable Interdependent for a common purpose

Four Essential Conditions for Team Effectiveness

1. Clear, engaging direction2. Enabling team structure3. Supportive organizational

context4. Available, expert, coaching

1. Clear, Engaging Direction

Ends specified? yes no

yes

no

Mea

ns sp

ecifi

ed?

Chaos and wasted effort

Wastedhuman

resources

De-motivation

Engaged,goal-directed

work

2. Enabling Team Structure

Appropriate team compositionA motivating team taskCore norms of conduct

3. Supportive Organizational Context

Rewards for excellent team performance

An information system that provides to the team the data it needs to plan its work

Available training and education, including in teamwork skills

Basic material resources

4. Available, Expert Coaching Motivational coaching, aimed at enhancing

team-level effort Educational coaching, aimed at helping

the team learn from its work Consultative coaching, aimed at helping

the team plan, evaluate, and execute its work strategy

Direction Structure Context -----> Process

Consequential

Clear

Challenging

Effort

Strategy

Talent

Motivating team task

Core norms

Composition

Rewards

Information system

Education system

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Team Deliverable 15 minute presentation

5 minute Q & A

Team Evaluation

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Team Discussion Discuss and determine:

How you will communicate?

How you will make decisions?

How will you hold one another accountable?

How will you evaluate team member contribution/team performance?

Name for your team?

Report Outs

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References Katzenbach, Jon and Douglas Smith, The

Wisdom of Teams, HarperBusiness, 1994. Lencioni, Patrick, The Five Dysfunctions of

a Team, Jossey-Bass. http://www.businessballs.com/

tuckmanformingstormingnormingperforming.htm